JAPAN
Banknote
hansatsu
Shimotsukenokuni
"Mibu Domain Note"
Silver 1 Momme
(pre-1860)
FRONT
・銀壹匁（Silver 1 Momme）
・米会所（The rice Exchange）
BACK
・表書の通此切手を以相渡可申候
（This bill can be redeemed for the amount shown on the front）
・引請（Guaranteed）
・郷中（“Gōchū” literally means “people of the community,” but in practice it referred to influential local figures—known as Zamotojin—who acted as guarantors of the bill）
・中野村才次郎（Saijiro of Nakano-mura, Zamotojin）
・繁昌村紋治郎（Mojiro of Hanse-mura, guarantor of this note）
🏯 The Economy of Mibu Domain 🏯
The economy of Mibu Domain, located in the northern part of present-day Tochigi Prefecture, was primarily agrarian, with rice cultivation forming the foundation of its fiscal system. The fertile lands along the Watarase River enabled extensive rice production, which served as the principal source of tax revenue. In addition to rice, local villages produced supplementary commodities such as mulberry for sericulture, indigo, and cotton, which provided secondary income streams.
To address fiscal difficulties and a shortage of circulating currency, the domain issued hansatsu (clan bills). These notes circulated within the domain and could be exchanged for rice or other goods, functioning as a local medium of exchange that sustained the domain’s internal economy. Some bills incorporated watermarks and intricate designs to deter counterfeiting, reflecting the domain’s efforts to secure monetary stability.
As a relatively small domain, Mibu maintained a largely self-sufficient economy with minimal external trade. Tax rice and hansatsu were central to sustaining fiscal balance and supporting farmers’ livelihoods. Certain policies—such as using hansatsu to purchase local products—appear to have stabilized the rural economy and indirectly promoted local industries.
Due to its limited size, interactions with other regions were modest. The circulation of hansatsu was largely confined within the domain, while trade with Edo and neighboring domains was restricted mainly to rice and specialty products, forming an indirect connection to external markets.
In sum, Mibu’s economy was characterized by a rice-based agricultural foundation, reinforced by small-scale industries and a localized currency system. Though external commerce was limited, the domain’s strategic use of hansatsu and prudent fiscal policies helped preserve financial stability and sustain rural livelihoods.
🏯 The History of Mibu Domain 🏯
The Mibu clan, which had governed the area since the Muromachi period, was destroyed at the Battle of Odawara in 1590, after which their lands were seized by the Yūki clan. Following the Battle of Sekigahara, Tokugawa Ieyasu granted a 19,000-koku fief in this area to Hineno Yoshiaki—formerly of Takashima Domain in Shinano Province—in 1602. Hineno contributed significantly to the construction of the Nikkō Tōshō-gū shrine complex, and in recognition of his service, he was transferred to Funai Domain (20,000 koku) in 1634.
Mibu was then assigned to Abe Tadaaki, a rōjū (senior councilor) to Shōgun Tokugawa Iemitsu, with an increased stipend of 25,000 koku. In 1639, Abe was reassigned to Oishi Domain in Musashi Province.
The Miura clan next governed Mibu for three generations, until Miura Akihiro—a wakadoshiyori (junior councilor)—was transferred to Nobeoka Domain in 1692. Shōgun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi then appointed Matsudaira Terusada as lord of Mibu; under his tenure, the domain’s revenues rose first to 32,000 koku and later to 42,000 koku. However, he remained only three years before his transfer to Takasaki Domain. Thereafter, the domain was reduced to 25,000 koku and granted to Katō Akihide, another former wakadoshiyori, who implemented financial and administrative reforms.
Upon the transfer of his son Katō Yoshinori to Minakuchi Domain in 1712, Mibu came under the control of the Torii clan, who ruled until the Meiji Restoration. The sixth daimyō, Torii Tadatomi, aligned himself with the Satchō Alliance during the Boshin War and took part in the Battle of Aizu, despite strong internal opposition. The final daimyō, Torii Tadafumi, was later ennobled as a viscount under the kazoku peerage system and subsequently served as Japan’s consul to the Kingdom of Hawaii.
After the abolition of the han system in July 1871, Mibu Domain was incorporated into Tochigi Prefecture. According to an 1870 census, the domain had a samurai population of 1,693 individuals in 437 households.
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